I’m never quite sure if it’s a blessing or a curse that most of the surnames in my family are uncommon. It means that somehow, anyone out there with the same surname is a fairly close relative. I don’t have to wonder if John Smith is the John Smith who married my great-great aunt. When I find a marriage license for Margaret Basquill and Sterrett Pooser, I have a high degree of confidence that these are my people.
On the other hand, spelling. Spelling is more of an art than a science. Even fairly recently, people didn’t seem to be too attached to a particular spelling for their name. For example, my great-great aunt Margaret. Her middle name was DeSales, but for some reason, on her marriage license, it’s spelled DeSails. Now, given the uniformity of the handwriting, we can guess that a clerk filled out the form, not Margaret or Sterrett. Still, presumably one or both of them were present and could have given the correct spelling?
Anyway, weren’t they adorable? Margaret died when I was six or seven, and she was pretty much bed-ridden before that, so I don’t remember her well. I get the impression that she had a great sense of humor, was adventurous and unfussy, and was close to her sister Nell (my great grandmother).
Sterrett Pooser, Margaret (Basquill) Pooser, Dot Coleman, Frank Coleman, 1920s
“Pablo Beach FLA”
red paper boat 